Lower Elementary

By age 6, children understand the immediate world around them and develop a curiosity that is the springboard for learning. In the Lower Elementary environment, a child’s inquisitiveness about the wider world is supported through Montessori’s Five Great Lessons, which introduce each child to the history of the universe and humanity and sparks interest in science, math, social science, and language. These Great Lessons are the foundation of a curriculum that integrates all the content areas: reading, writing, oral presentation, math, geometry, cultural subjects, physical and life science, history, social studies, art, Spanish and music.

In Lower Elementary, children work in small groups or independently on topics of their own choosing. Students establish solid study and research skills, and use them to feed their natural curiosity about the world and their place in it. As concepts are reinforced, children develop a greater capacity for abstract thinking. Rather than telling students what to learn, the Montessori curriculum encourages children to think for themselves and develop their own tools for learning.

With the teacher as a guide, students learn at their own pace according to their interests and abilities. Multi-age groups allow for a continuity between teacher and student and between older and younger students. Children gain time management skills over the course of the three years and are given choices on how to structure their work cycles.

Lower Elementary is for children from 6 to 9 years of age and is the equivalent of 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade. Class is held from 8:45am to 3:15pm. Elementary Encore is available from 3:15pm to 6:00pm.

Lower Elementary establishes solid study and research skills and prepares each student for Upper Elementary.